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Great Sunflower Project

Program to help researcers detemine where honeybees are prevalent and where they aren't. Read about this in Rurallife magazine. Thought some might be interested in counting bees. www.greatsunflower.org

I have sunflowers in the garden, but they frequently have no honeybees on them! Does that mean I have a low population? How many more hives should I get...

It more likely means there are more attractive flowers to the bees in the vicinity. I have plenty of "wild" black oil sunflowers, and although they will be covered by bumblebees, I rarely see a honeybee on them.

I'm a bit fuzzy on how this "Great Sunflower Project" will help, even after reading the "How Will the Great Sunflower Project Help" section on the site. Sounds like a great way to sell sunflower seeds.

When I read "urban poor, who spend 50-70% of their income on food", with no references to this supposed "fact", I became a skeptic.

Here are some findings on food expenditures as a share of disposable income:

Sunflowers

I planted some food plots this spring for wildlife. I have over an acre of sunflowers spread around my property and have not seen my homeybee's on them ever! I hope they get something out of them but I dont see honeybee's taking a shine to them.

sunflowers

Yup I have about 1.5 acres of sunflowers for dove hunting and havent seen one honeybee on them. I have however seen several bumblebees. Next year I plan on planting a large plot of white clover. Does anyone know of any other wild flowers that would benefit bees?

While the sunflower seed (black oil) volunteers from the bird feeder grew and when they bloomed they had honey bees all over them. There were mints, clover and other blooms also with bees all over all but the dandelions and a couple other blooms that had no honey bees on them. I have noticed that I have never seen a honey bee on grey stripe (?) sunflowers or the huge nine and ten foot monster plants. Come to thionk of it I've never seen a bird on them either, just the black oil.

My son-in-law gave me some of the large 10-12ft. high sunflowers seed last spring. I planted them and they are now large flowers ,only bumble bees and wasp are working them. I was going to save enough seed to plant the whole field next year .However I am not interested in planting for BB's .